Apparatus for separating, feeding, and delivering sheets.



E. A. COX. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING, FEEDING, AND DELIVERING SHEETS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- Witnesses;

E. A. 00X.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING, FEEDING, AND DELIVERING SHEETS.

' APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 25. 1911.

1,075,697. Patehted 0011 11913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

Inventor.

E. A. 00X. v APPARATUS FOR SEPAEATING, FEEDING, AND DELIVERING SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1911. 1,075,697.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3. 7

OOOOOOOOOOOQ O00 witnesses: lrwentr:

Attorney.

'. Patented 0015.14, 1913.

E. A. 00X. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING, FEEDING, AND DELIVERING SHEETS. APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 25, 1911.

1,075,697; Paten ted Oct. 14, 1913 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

m llllllllll 5 SHEETS-$52111 5.

APPLIUATIGH FILED JAE, 25,1911.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING, FEEDIN AM DELIVER-EEG- LWMW;

panel) STATES PATEN QFFlUat.

airmen a. sex, or momma, Jansen;

Arrnna rns non snransrxne, mamas, ANTD nnmvianme sis-name.

Lowest.

, of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sepa rating, Feeding, and Delivering Sheets, 'of

which the following, taken in connection with the accompany-mg drawings, is a full,

clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to certain improve ments in apparatus for separating, feeding anddelivering sheets of paper and similar articlesfrOm .a collated pileand although it is specifically adapted for use in connec tion with duplicating or stencil printing machinesit is e ually useful in connection with addressing, olding, copying,- ruling, print-' ing and'other machines to whichsuch sheets maybe successively fed for further opera- 1 ing pad showing a metallic fastener by ti-on thereon.

The main object is to provide means whereby the sheets may be separated by hand, and successively fed one by one to a printing ,or similar machine and the printed sheets delivered at or near the point of.

entrance and recollated right side up in readable position by the operator during the separating and feeding operation so that the vvwork upon each sheet may be readily inspected upon its-delivery without in any way interfering with or retarding the pr0g ress of the work of separating and feeding the sheets to the apparatus.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts oftheappara'tus will be brought out in the following description:

In the drawings Figure -'1 is a longitudinal vertical. sectional View of a duplieating or stencil printing machine. andmy a le] and; de i ery shelf" are emitted; 4 man enlarged-longitudinal vert cal sec-' f t1ODill VlW" of the same feeding and del1ver-.

improved separating, feeding-and delivermg apparatus associated therewith, the parts being shown in the positlon assumed while feeding and printing one of the sheets while in transit from the feeding table to- Fig. 2 is a top plan the delivery shelf. of the separating, and feeding mechanism omitting the printing cylinder and. delivery shelf. and showing portions of the supporting framein sect-ion. "Fig. .3 is a front elevation. partly in section of the, machine Sim own. in Fig. except thatjthe feeding:

ing mechanism and adjacent portions ofthe printing cylinder and sheet supporting Specification-of Letters Retest.

, by hand.

- printing mach-mes.

shelves except that the feed or presser roller is shown by dotted lines and the presser plate in position for pressing the advance end of the sheet against the roller. Fig. '5 is an enlarged rear view, partly in section, of part of a cylinder head showlnga clamping ring for the stencil supporting plate and means for operating said ring. Fig. '6 is a limiting the relative circumferential move- I Batentedflct as, 149 113, Application filed January 25, 1911. Serial No. 604,604.

merit of those parts. Fig. 10 is an-enlarged detail sectional view of one end of an inkwhich it is attached to the cylindrical segform of prcsser plate employing a roller I by which the advanceedge of the papers is forced into contact with the main feed roller, :1 portion of the actuating element being also shown in connection therewith. Fig. 12 is a face View of a portion ofthe presserplate and roller thereon shown in 'Fig. 11. Fig. 518 is a perspective view of a supporting plate and collated sheets :mounted thereon showing the manner o f separating the sheets of modified forms of feed and press rol'ls Figs. 14 and 15 are face views adapted to be used in connection with type v Arranged in close proximity to and inclining upward and rearwardly at an obtuse angle with the table -l is a deflector plate -11 forming a temporary limiting stop against which the advanced ends of the blank sheets normally rest one in advance of.

the other from the bottom upward so asto;

facilitate the separation of the 'uppermost sheets as they are fed'forwardly b .hand,

said deflector plate being preferaby provided with a retarding face 12-'- of rubber I or roughened material to prevent there niannng sheets from being drawn forwardly withthe one which is being advance d by hand to the mechanical feeding lei/" ce.v

' The plate -11- ispreferablysecuredat its lower edge to a rock shaft -l'3.and,

its nppered'ge, ,movable transversely of and in "close proximity to an abutment" ''1 l parallel with the axis of the rock niatter thereon in which independently or in c nnection with any machine or apparatus for receiving the separated sheets and consisting of the support .1 upon which. the collated sheets a are placed and an inclined retarding surface 12' disposed in a plane at an obtuse angle to that of the support 1 for per mitting the uppermost sheet to be separated from the remaining sheets which abut against the retarding surface.

Feed lag mechanism.-After each sheet has been fed by hand across the inclined plate 11 and into engagement with the abutment 1l the rock shaft -1.3- and plate ll. are rocked at the-proper time to press the advanced end of the sheet into contact with the periphery of a feed roller having a suitable gripping surface of rubber or equivalent material capable of picking up the advanced end of the sheet andfeeding it forwardly in the direction of to tation of the feed roller, the deflector plate being instantly released frmn its holding position to free the sheet from unnecessary re sistance and allow it to be advanced freely by the feeding roller. The upper edge of the plate -'11 therefore becomes a presser bar or guide for pressing the advance end of the sheet-against the feed roll but, only after it has been lined up by tho abutment 1 l--, the movements of the feed roll and presser plate being synchronized so as to bring the advance end of-the sheet into contact With the feed roller only after it has been fed by hand into engagement with the abutment -14-.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for rotating the feed roll and oscillating the presser plate or deflector lland in the present instance this feeding means consists. of a rotary cylinder 17- journaled in suitable bearings upon the upper portion of the frame A and provided with a suit: able crank arm -18-- by which it may be rotated, said cylinder having a perforated stencil supporting segment 15)- coactingwith the periphery of the feed roll 15 to facilitate the continued feeding of the sheet and at the same time transmitting printed case the roller purpose of a feed 15 serves the double roll, and press roll.

For type printing machines the feed roll may be made up of hard and soft rubber disks m and n-- alternating with each other and spaced to correspondwith the line spacing of the type or I may cmploy hard rubber roller With rubber disks or bands at the ends forengaging the head and foot spaces of the sheet.

Delivery dem'ce.As the sheets are brought into contact With and fed by the roller -15- they are returned forwardly by a curved deflecting plate 20-- preferably forming a continuation of the abutment 14 and having its opposite ends formed with stripper fingers or arms ---'21- forming a continuation of the deflector plate 2() and extending some distance in front of the feed roll 15 for returning or delivering the sheetswith the printed side uppermost upon an underlying receiving tray '-22. This tray is preferably disposed in a forwardly inclined plane a SHlllClGfll; distance above the table l to permitthe operator to readily manipulate the blank sheets in feeding them by hand to the feeding roller 15-, said tray being located wholly in front of the feed roller and in this instance below the printing cylinder -l7-- directly in the path of movement of the returning sheets. This tray is supported upon the frame -A and is provided with upwardly projecting side flanges -22 and rear and front end flanges --2l and --25- for guiding, alining and confining the sheets one upon the other as they are delivered from the feeding roller.

The apparatus forming the subject matter of my present invention comprises in this instance three coacting mechanisms, namely sheet separating means, mechanism for feeding the separated sheets successively to a printing or other device adapted to operate thereon and an additional mechanism for delivering and recollating the sheets right side up at or near the point of entrance to the machine.

Separating meolmnsm.The collated blank or other sheets to be separated are supported upon a rearwardly inclined table or shelf --1 between adjust-able guides -2- and are lightly held fiat-Wise by a comparatively light presser plate -3-- of card-board or similar comparatively stiti' material'resting upon the uppermost sheet and preferably interlocked With the front ends of the guides --2- substantially as shown in Fig. --2"'to prevent accidental end visedisplacement thereof relatively to the guides and at the same time allowing it to gravievies l ke shown t-h Fig. -2-- the rear seas of the guides are provided with lateral oifsets and the emespenemg we of the sheet retarding plate is provided with similarly formed slots -9- t er r'eciving" the sheet portions 8=- and thereby locliingv the retarding plate against endivise movement relatively to the table. The central portion of the rear end otthe retarding plate -"3' is put away forming a recess extending forwardly a. considerable distance flein'the rear end to permit the free action of the fingers of the operator in feeding the uppermostshee'ts one by one to the mechanical feeding device hereinafter described. The neeess'aryseparatio-n of the sheets istherefhi e aceoni lishedby hand referabiy throng-h the medium or anti-slipping rubber tips of thy Well known construction were ilpohth'e to enabl the operator t more efiective feed the uppermost sheets fuiwafdiy one y one under light contact While the slight pressure of the weighted member -3-'-' sei%ves is hold the remaining sheets and to prevent in a measure snch she'ets hem being drawn .forwitrd by sh'ction or, fi'ietioh as the outeri'nost sheet is advanced, and also holds them from sliding back. Another purpose of the Weighted plate --3 which is substantially coextensive with the Width of the sheets is to smooth out ahy creases, wrinkles or. overturned corners in the sheet which is being fed forwardly to assure its proper entry to and passage through the feeding device anclprinting 'r other machine with which such feeding; device is associated.

The intermediate portion of the tray rests upon a transverse rod 26 on the front flanges +23 are formed with open sided bearings -27- for en aging the""studs portion of the frame A- and the side" 28 al's'o projecting inwardly from opp'osite s side'sof the framefso'medistance to the" rear of the hars*f-26 leaving theg'reater j weightof th'e t'ra y in front of s'ai dfbar SOjaSf to hold the tray in"in' terlocl zing engagement-Q with the studs 28 -Jand at the same time to permit the tray to be readily removed by simply tilting its forward end upwardly sufliciently to disengage the flanges -23- side of the feed roll but terminates snitable iivays 3'0 eedstewed lithe printing": tionally held between the hem the s'thtls theii to withdraw the trey for w'a'r'dly;

The sweet in dispcs'ihg the my atan iniined position is th oher-alimited resistance is the rapid delivery as the sheets suflieient a a preterit from passing he -end the limits hi the my and also causing theco-l- :lated sheets to gravitate endwise againstthe The deflector p1ate,'20- extends up-w when from the abutment -I14- partially arofind and in close proximity to therear a when hcessary;

a sniiieient distance at the rear of the meeti'n'g? faces of said roller and eyli'nder to allow the sheets to be impinged between said meeting andthe'reby continue to feed them forwardly onto the receiving tra 22,

7 8 5 the's'tripperarins -21- serving t e double purpose of stripping the sheets from the cylinder and additiohall'y deflecting them onto the tray. is

The deflector plate -2l),, arms 2li 9 and abutment 14' are preferably made of a singie piece of sheet metal and are supported in operative position by securing the front ends of the arms :to the studs-2&- While the portion of the plate havingthe 9'5 abutment -Q4- is similarly attachedto'a I transverse rod or bar '-29- just at the, rear of the feed roller l5- The front portion of the receiving tray bearing the ange 25 is preferably adjustable lengthwise relatively to the main body to conform to difierent lengths of sheets" and for this, purpose the main body is provided with in which'thevmovable v section is guided- In this particularin- 1 stance the duplicating or stencil printing cylinder -17- constitutes a part of the separating, feeding and delivering i-mechanism in so far as it iormsvthe means for actuating or controlling the operation of suchmechanisms and in order that the invention 1 may be clearly understood, it "will be necess sary to further describe the construction of g this particular driving and controlling mech-j anism. Y I i The perforated stencil supporting, segment -19-+ is secured" at its ends to opposite split rings --31 yvhich are mounted upon and adjustable clrcumferentially of adjacent cylinder-heads" 32,'

porting segment :being facetand- 'iT Q: V

T1'I'lgS T- and flanges :3 p Figs eytm er heads -32- and -33 are mounted upon central spindle sections or studs 35-- and- 36-- journaled in the upper portion of the 120' Within inwardly I projecting 1 annular.- l ian gee 34 the adjacent Tendsof the stencil J sup; depressed TIT-.55}

frame -A, one of said studs as 35-' being provided with the hand crank --18 whereby the cylinder may be rotated in the feed roller extend some distance beyond the ends of the stencil and under.,the fingers 21 so as to guide the edges of the sheets beneath said fingers and allow the latter to strip the printed sheets from the stencil and simultaneously deflect or deliver them onto the receiving tray '-22-. The perimeter of one of the cylinder heads as 32 constitutes a cam cotiperating with a roller bearing -39 on a lever -39 for controlling the operation of the presser plate '-l1-, said' perimeter being circular throughout the greater portion of its circumference but having a small portion thereof cut away at to form a slight depression or comparatively short fiat hearing face.

The-lever -39 is secured to one end of the rock shaft l3 and its upper end is spring pressed upwardly and forwardly to hold the roller-bearing 39'- in contact i with the perimeter of the cylinder head -32-. Both the lever --39 and prcsser plate 11 are secured to the same rock shaft 13 and therefore any movement of the lever is imparted to the presser plate. The radius of the circular portion of the perimeter of the cylinder head -39, is such as to hold the upper end of the presser plate +1l a sufiicient distance away from the feed roller 15 to permit the free entrance of the advance end of the sheet between said plate and roller and against the abutment --ltwhile the radius of the low point of the depression -40-- is such that when in contact with the roller 39 a spring -41 acting upon the lever -39 draws the upper end of said lever and presser plate forwardly sufficiently to cause the upper end of the plate to firmly press the advance end of the interposed sheet forwardly against the periphery of the feed roller -15- and at the same time or before this action takes place the advance edge of the stencil comes in contact with and rotates the roller 15 to feed the paper forward, the deiiectorplate 20- and stripper fingers 2l serving, to return or deliver the sheet rightside up upon the receiving tray -22- as the cylinder continuesrto rotate.

As previously stated the cylinder heads and supporting rings for the segment are I supporting frame.

in advance of the corresponding end of the.

stencil supporting segment -.l9-, the rings and heads are provided. with limiting stops 4A and -i-iarranged so that the depressed portion 40- can only be adjusted within. the circumferential length of the stencil supporting segmentand not across the opening bet-ween its circun rential ends. Utherwise the feed roller ----l5- would. not be rotated. at the time 'wl'ien the advanced end of the sheet was pressed into engagement therewith by the presser plate si'iitable shaft having its ends journaled in vertically movable supporting spindles 4.-5 which together with the feed roller are spring pressed upwardly by coiled springs 46- to normally hold the feed roller in Contact with the periphery of the stencil. apertures lugs or ears l7-- on the main The lower ends of the spindles -45 extend some distance below the lower apertured lugs li"-- and are provided with suitable apertures in which is journalcd a rock shaft or spindle l8- having its cnds provided with similar eccentrics l$)- engaging portions of the frame, said shaft being operated by a suitable hand lever 50 to rotate the cams and thereby lower the spindles and roller -l5-'- sufficiently to clear the periphery of the printing cylinder and. thus preventing injury to the stencil when the machine is not in use. During this latter operation of withdrawing the feeding roll --1.5- from its pressing position, the lower end of one of the spindles engages an underlying shoulder 51 on the lever 39- and simultaneously forces the roller bearing -39- and presser bar 1lclear from the periphery of the cylinder head and from the feed roller, thus permitting; the cylinder to be revolved independently of any of the other mechanisms without liability of injuring the stencil. sheet.

The manner of fastening the inking pad and stencil sheet in place is shmvn in Figs.

17, 8 and 10, Fig. 10 showing a pad or stencil sheet as provided with a metallic clasp or bar -5Q around which the ad acent portions of the pad or stencil sheet may be folded and then tucked or inserted into a loop -5-3- in the corresponding end of the These s indies are ntitled in G new-use? perforated segment 19-, the opposite ends of the ink-pad or stencil-sheet being held, in place by a clamping screw l-+ and bar -55'.

In Fig. '-11- I have shown a "slightly *roll -"60- to force the advanced end of the sheet against the feeding roll -l5-. In operation the blank sheets are placed ,upon the supporting table '1- and the sheets are successively fed by hand against and upwardly across the presser plate 11 and then against the abutment -14 by 15 which the sheet is t qp y almed' vDuringi this operation the printing cylinder -l 7' is rotated and as soon as 'the depression -l-(-- is registered with the roller bearing 39-, the presser bar -11- is instantly drawn forwardly to force the advanced end of the sheet into engagement with the 'pe'- In apparatus for separating, feeding 5 i delivering sheets, two coacting rotary prin g elements, separate supports one above Q a other at one and'the same side f said en ents toward which their meetng faces travel, an abutment against which 40 the sheets are fed by hand from one of said supports, and oscillating means for pressing said sheets from the abutment against the opposite side of one of the rotary elements whereby they are successively fed upon the other support.

2. In combination with a rotary printing element and an underlying presser roll coacting therewith, supports one' above the other at-the front side of the rotary elements toward which their meeting faces travel, 'an abutment against which the sheets are fed by handvfrom the lower support, and oscillating means for pressing the sheets from said abutment against the rear side of the presser roll, whereby sheets are carried between and printed by the printing-couple and returned printed side up upon the upper support. I w y 3. In combination with coacting rotary elements disposed one above the other, separatesheet supports one above the other at the front side of said elements toward which their meeting faces travel, an inclined guide extending from the lower support toward the rear side of the lower rotary element nedifi; form of presser bar 11" havmg its upper end provided with a presseracross which the sheets are adapted to be initially advanced one by one by hand, and means controlled by onelof. .the-v rotary elements for operating said guide: togpress the advance endof the sheet against, the lower element, whereby said sheet is CRIXlQdrb6- tween said elements and. returned upon the upper support. i a T 4. In combination with a rotaryprinting couple, separate sheet supports one'above the other at one and the saine side of said elements toward which their meeting faces move, a movable guide extending from the lower support to a point in proximity to one of the elements of the printin'gcouple and across which .the sheets on the;,lower support are adapted to be advanced one by one by hand from the lower 'supportbetween the guide and saidcoacting. element, and means controlled by one of theelements of the printing couple for operating said guide to press the sheet against the adjacent rotary element whereby said sheet is carried between the elements of the printing couple and thereby delivered printed side up upon the upper support.

'5. Apparatus for separating, feeding and delivering sheets comprising a printing drum and a feed roll, and actuating means therefor, areceiving tray at one side of the feed roll, an alining abutment at the opposite side of the feed roll against which the sheets are fed by hand one by one, a press plate separate from the drum for pressing the advance end of the sheet from Said'abut- 10o ment and against the feed roll and means for oscillating said press plate;

6. An apparatus for separating, feeding and delivering sheets comprising a rotary drum and a feed roll, -means permitting thg feeding of sheets one by one by hand in one direction toward the feed roll, intermittently movable means separ rate from the drum. for pressing the advance end of the sheet against a portion of the feed roll moving in the same general direction, actuating means for said feed roll, and means for reversing the direction of movement of the sheet while engaged'by the feed roll.

7 In an apparatus for separating, feed ing and delivering sheets, a support for the collated sheets to be separated, said sheets ,being separated and advancedone by one by hand, and a flat follower resting on the uppermost sheet and having the central portion of its rear end cut away to form an entering space for the hand in feeding the upper sheet forwardly. I y

8. In combination with a rotary. prmting cylinder and press roll actuated thereby, .a receiving tray at one side of the press roll toward which the meeting faces of the p r mting couple travel, an abutment at the tappesite side of the press roll and parallel there- 33o with, a supporting tray for the coil Med;-

sheets, a vibratory guide extending from the roarend of the supporting tray to a point in proximity to the-abutmeni, and movable toward and from the press 2011, said sheets being fed one by one by hand from the supporting trey across said guide plate and against said abutment, and means movable with one of the revolving elements of the printing couple for controlling the operation of the guide plate.

9. In. an apparatus for separating, feeding and delivering sheeCs, a feed 1-011 and actuating means therefor, sheet supports arranged one above the other at one and the some side of the feed r011 toward which the upper side of the feed roll l'novee anabufe ment at the opposite side of the feed roll upper support.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my bend. on this twenty-first day of January EDWIN A. COX. Wiinesses:

F. B. HELLER, WALTER BAKER.

ment of the sheet and delivering it upon the I 

